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Why I Chose The Xperia Z and not HTC One

I've posted this before on the Xperia Z reviews thread, however, I've been reading lots of posts about the Xperia Z vs the HTC One and I'd thought I'd share my opinions on the Xperia Z and why I chose it instead of the HTC One. I've modified some information in the review to tell you more about why I chose the Z. The original can be found here: [http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=40061336#post40061336]
My Honest Sony Xperia Z Review
Why I Chose The Xperia Z
I had the Xperia Z for a month or so and I'm ready to make my review on it. I was up for an upgrade last month(March) and was browsing through phones that may appeal to me. I am coming from an iPhone 5. In the end, there were only 3 phones that caught my eye. The Xperia Z, the HTC One and the HTC Butterfly, or Droid DNA in the USA. The Butterfly was the first to go as it lacked LTE and NFC. The Xperia Z and the HTC One remained. Luckily, I found a HTC One demo unit in one of the Carriers, Singtel(Plaza Singapura if any fellow Singaporeans wanna check it out). Well hidden in a corner, I should say and it was the Black one. At the same time, The Xperia Z just launched like, 2 days ago(At that time). Picking up the HTC One, I realized how solid it feels, and boy, premium was written all over it. I turned it on and played around with the software. It was good, lag-free and looks great. I tried the camera and I have to say it was horrible. No joke. It was not clear and most details looks fuzzy. Maybe thats just me, but it really looks not on par with phone cameras these days. Sense 5.0 was alright, it was clean and fresh from the previous Sense versions. BlinkFeed was just a Flipboard like widget on the homescreen. Sense 5.0 does looks nice, but it was not for me. I am also afraid of the build of the phone. I am a careless person. I have to admit. My iPhone 5 was covered in scuffs and dents all over the place. Having the full aluminium body makes me shudder every time I imagine dropping it. Wanted to know more but the HTC rep was nowhere to be seen. Next, I went to the Xperia Z demo unit. The Sony Xperia rep there gave me a run through on the specs and features. I was actually pretty impressed and excited by the fact I could take my phone to the shower and use it while showering. To me, what it means by having a good phone is having a good experience. When I picked up the phone, I immediately realized how realistic the colors looked when playing video and viewing images. Outside of that, it looked rather dark. The design was sexy. REALLY sexy. It felt extremely good in the hand and is durable. VERY durable. Dropped it a few times and not a scratch. The thing that closed the deal was the UI. I like the stock UI. In fact, I love it. The Xperia Z's UI is extremely close to stock. The Nexus 4 is not available here, so it was out of the question. The UI is neat, smooth and looked fabulous. Unlike HTC's Sense 5.0, which is an extremely heavy skin and does not appeal to me. With the water resistance, it was clear which is the phone for me. I hope after reading my review, you'll know which phone to get. We are all brothers here at XDA Developers and I hope that whichever phone we use, we may contribute to the developer community and not flame each other because of our personal preferences. XDA Developers is a place for developers, by developers. Lets not let our choice of phone affect that.
The Beauty Meets The Beast
The Xperia Z packs a SnapDragon S4 Pro Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait processor, Adreno 320 GPU and runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. It sports an all glass design, similar to the iPhone 4 and 4S. The Xperia Z has excellent build quality and looks absolutely fantastic. The ports are covered by flaps, which may prove to be an annoyance for some but with good purpose. The most prominent feature of the Xperia Z is probably the on/off button. Its large, and ridiculously well placed. It stands where the thumb rests on the phone, or the index finger if you're using your left hand and is incredibly convenient to press compared to the stretch you'd have to make on other phones. Below that is the volume rocker, also easy to access when needed. The speakers are indeed placed in a horrible position, as its easy to mute with your palm unintentionally but its not an issue for me as I use my phone with my left hand.
Overall, the design turns heads and the hardware don't fail to deliver. Feels solid in the hand, BUT might be a problem for people with small hands as it may cut into it and make it uncomfortable. Very, very impressive Sony.
User Interface
Sony's UI is probably the closes you can get to stock android, and I love it. It's simple, nothing fancy and neat, although, I'd like a Black theme rather then the Grey. There are some UI lags here and there though. The lack of Android 4.2.2 also disappoints me a little but its coming, and I'll wait for it. After all, Good things come to those who wait.
Performance Powerhouse
Lag is a thing of the past with the SnapDragon S4 Pro as everything is buttery smooth, with minor UI lags here and there. Problem solved with one of the launchers. I've also noticed a little waiting time when launching the camera. Games run smoothly and without issue, not to mention looks AWESOME on the Full HD display. Although, I'd prefer to see the SnapDragon 600 on the Xperia Z as a future proof maneuver as games get increasingly power hungry.
Camera, Video and Screen
Video playback is amazing on the Xperia Z, as a result of the Full HD 1080p screen. Words are crisp and I rarely see any pixels other then low-res images. The Camera doesn't disappoint either with a 13MP back camera and a 2.1MP front facing camera. Both camera film 1080p videos as well so vlogging on the phone will definitely be great. However, I did notice that the colors are not on par with other phones and look rather dark. The Bravia Mobile Engine 2 does help and actually make the colors extremely realistic, but only when viewing images and videos. Low contrast ratio here doesn't help either. Had no issue using the phone in daylight. The viewing angles are GREAT. Only having some colors being washed out, I don't see any issue with viewing angles. Even if there is an issue with viewing angles, who cares? Nobody, NOBODY uses their phones 90 degrees unless you're a total idiot.
Connectivity
No issues here. LTE, NFC. What else could you ask for? Have to say though, kudos to Sony on having a campaign on promoting NFC usage and even launching new TVs with NFC compatibility. Wi-Fi is great, only had issue when it keeps dropping on free public Wi-Fi access points. But hey, free Wi-Fi, who knows. No issues with the Wi-Fi at home.
Its Music To My Ears
I listen to music. A lot. Everyday to and fro school, when travelling, heck, even when I'm bored. The bundled headset, The MH-EX300AP is AWESOME in providing high quality sounds. Sony also has ClearAudio+, which is like Beats Audio on the HTC, makes the experience all the more awesome. You can say its like having an orgasm in your ears. Eargasm if i may.
Speaker & Microphone Quality
The speaker, is actually quite the disappointment as number one, its placed in a horrible position. Next, its not as loud as I'd like it to be. There's xLoud, but it sacrifices quality for volume. Considering the quality without xLoud, I'd rather have it disabled. Lastly, as said before, the quality isn't all that great. However, I got the NFC Wireless Speaker, The SRS-BTV5 for free, which solves all the above issues, thus no complaints from me. But its kinda inconvenient to carry a speaker around with you all the time, so yeah. It is an issue.
Call quality is great, however. I can hear the other party clearly and they can hear me clearly too. No issues with dropped calls.
The Xperia Z Runs Far, With Great Stamina
I start my day at 4:30AM and end at 6PM. With 80% battery left. Stamina mode is no gimmick, it really does help with the battery life. Awesome battery life. If the screen is mostly off that is, which is usually the case. I find that if LTE is enabled, battery drains extremely fast, which makes me resort to using HSPA+, which isn't that all bad in my country. HSPA+ use nearly 3 times as less battery then LTE on my set. Location Based Wi-Fi is AWESOME. Its really cool to have your Wi-Fi turn off automatically when you leave the house and turns on then you're back. Not to mention the convenience. The phone will probably last me 2 days or so, but I still charge it every night anyway. Don't we all do?
Prepared For Accidents
The Xperia Z is IP57 certified - dust and water resistant with water resistant up to 1 meter and 30 minutes. Let's be honest here. We all had times where we wished we could take our phones into the shower or bathtub. That wish is now fulfilled. I take the Xperia Z into the shower with me everyday and text or watch YouTube videos while showering. When the phone is dirty? No sweat. Rinse it under washing water. Now you also do not have to worry about dropping your phone into the water or bring it camping in the desert(whatever the reason LOL). Plus, you can wow your friends or freak your parents out by pouring water on the phone or dunk it into a glass of water. Heck, even take it swimming. Be careful about salt water though, Sony does not recommend dunking it in salt water. With Wet Finger Tracking technology, you don't have to dry your hands to use your phone, although it does get a little jumpy at times. The phone is also quite durable as I've dropped the phone a few time and there's not a scratch. That a plus as I'm usually very careless.
Take note that the phone disables touch input while underwater so, no texting while swimming.
Conclusion
The Sony Xperia Z is a great phone. Its not for everybody, and it has it's fair shares of ups and downs. I am throughly satisfied with it and do not regret not waiting for the Samsung Galaxy S4 or the HTC One. Its great for the average user and is definitely good enough for me. The water and dust resistance is not necessary but its nice to have. Its smooth, provide great music listening, plays games like a champ. I would recommend it to anybody, but hey, its your call. You have the decision to which phone is right for you and nobody can force you to take the Xperia Z or any phone for the matter. For me, I made my choice, and I have no regrets whatsoever.
Therefore, I dare say: I'M A PROUD SONY XPERIA Z OWNER
Thank you for taking your precious time to read my review. I'm still a noob, and I hope I may be more useful to the developer community here.
P.s Feedback on my review?

Thanks for your input. I suggest you take a look at the AnandTech review of the HTC One and you'll find the camera is excellent, if not the best available. I really like my Z but I find it unrealistic to say the camera is better if Sony doesn't fix the extreme post-processing. In low-light conditions the One wins hands down. Not so weird with optical image stabilization and pixels that are twice as big.
I'd suggest taking a picture (in auto mode) of a tree or bush at lets say 2-3 meters distance and then look at the picture at 100%. You'll see it's smeared out. Funny thing is, try the same in burst and you'll see it looks MUCH better.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2221246

Great review. I agree with most parts.
Only issues for me with Z, which are a real shame to me, are the mic and ear piece speakers which do not provide the best call clarity, callers and myself experience weird overprocessed sound and issues when on calls, but they are minor, and the waterproofing accounts for this I imagine.
The only other issue for me, which again is a big shame considering the phone is made by Sony, is the music quality.
The music through the earphones is far too quiet, and the quality leaves a lot to be desired.
Say what you will about Beats audio on HTC phones, but the HTC One X beats the Z into the ground on volume and sound quality.
One X has no distortion at volume levels twice that of the Z! Max volume on the Z is around 30% too quiet, and the sound quality
is a little underwhelming, with the EQ having a strange volume limiting effect on walkman player.
Aside from those, and the little lags on the phone, which occur not only in the launcher, but also in the UI such as apps and settings menu's etc, the phone is great.
Knowing me, I will love the Z for a while, but then the little issues will grow louder and louder until deafening and i'll have to go off again in search of greener pastures.
HTC One is looking good, barring the sub standard camera.
I wasn't interested in the One, till I saw on in the shop yesterday, compared the speed (which is lag free and superfast), and a HD movie on Youtube side by side with my Z and was left open mouthed at how much better the One was in those departments.

Great review ! Some of things i don't understand ( and i've seen this a couple of times already ) are :
1. If you don't like the UI of any android phone there are Launchers . I , for example , don't like the sony launcher . No problem , i went with Nova launcher wich is as closest to stock as I can get. I'm sure you could have done the same on the One.
2.It's an open comunity => I flashed mine with Purexaudio mod and now my loudspeaker is too damn loud on max haha ! ( no bootloader unlocked , just rooted )

_JT said:
Thanks for your input. I suggest you take a look at the AnandTech review of the HTC One and you'll find the camera is excellent, if not the best available. I really like my Z but I find it unrealistic to say the camera is better if Sony doesn't fix the extreme post-processing. In low-light conditions the One wins hands down. Not so weird with optical image stabilization and pixels that are twice as big.
I'd suggest taking a picture (in auto mode) of a tree or bush at lets say 2-3 meters distance and then look at the picture at 100%. You'll see it's smeared out. Funny thing is, try the same in burst and you'll see it looks MUCH better.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2221246
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would have to say the Z has excellent low light capabilities when flash is not required. I am not impressed with HTC one camera or samples at all and have read reviews that rubbish the HTC One camera.
As for burst mode, I have never ever been able to get anything buy a noisy image out of it, and it offers zero improvement in clarity. Interestingly, my pics are generally pin sharp when HDR is off.
The HTC One blurs trees in the distance though.

Thanks for that. I am deciding between the One and Z, and slightly leaning towards the Z at the moment. I do like HTC and Sense UI but then I like what Sony has done too. The Zoe features on the One do look good, but I am sure I could find alternative apps to do similar things, albeit not integrated like on the One.
I do like to flash different ROMs my phones so I guess it might come down to what has the biggest development support.

L0cke said:
Thanks for that. I am deciding between the One and Z, and slightly leaning towards the Z at the moment. I do like HTC and Sense UI but then I like what Sony has done too. The Zoe features on the One do look good, but I am sure I could find alternative apps to do similar things, albeit not integrated like on the One.
I do like to flash different ROMs my phones so I guess it might come down to what has the biggest development support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm... Then I would recommend the Xperia Z. Its bootloader is easily unlockable. But if you prefer the HTC One, there's the Developer edition that ships with the bootloader unlocked, but its not on contract, so you might have to pay more as there are no Carrier subsidies.
biffsmash said:
I would have to say the Z has excellent low light capabilities when flash is not required. I am not impressed with HTC one camera or samples at all and have read reviews that rubbish the HTC One camera.
As for burst mode, I have never ever been able to get anything buy a noisy image out of it, and it offers zero improvement in clarity. Interestingly, my pics are generally pin sharp when HDR is off.
The HTC One blurs trees in the distance though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly! When I take an image with the HTC One, details that are in the background isn't very clear and is noisy. Glad to see that someone has the same opinion as me. As for the Xperia Z, I usually use it in Superior Auto and under 9MP. Images are very clear while burst mode are just blurry images.
fookea said:
Great review ! Some of things i don't understand ( and i've seen this a couple of times already ) are :
1. If you don't like the UI of any android phone there are Launchers . I , for example , don't like the sony launcher . No problem , i went with Nova launcher wich is as closest to stock as I can get. I'm sure you could have done the same on the One.
2.It's an open comunity => I flashed mine with Purexaudio mod and now my loudspeaker is too damn loud on max haha ! ( no bootloader unlocked , just rooted )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, but then again, whats the point of buying the particular brand or model then? Why not go for the one that has the best specs. Just my 2 cents.
Gonna try Purexaudio. Thanks
biffsmash said:
Great review. I agree with most parts.
Only issues for me with Z, which are a real shame to me, are the mic and ear piece speakers which do not provide the best call clarity, callers and myself experience weird overprocessed sound and issues when on calls, but they are minor, and the waterproofing accounts for this I imagine.
The only other issue for me, which again is a big shame considering the phone is made by Sony, is the music quality.
The music through the earphones is far too quiet, and the quality leaves a lot to be desired.
Say what you will about Beats audio on HTC phones, but the HTC One X beats the Z into the ground on volume and sound quality.
One X has no distortion at volume levels twice that of the Z! Max volume on the Z is around 30% too quiet, and the sound quality
is a little underwhelming, with the EQ having a strange volume limiting effect on walkman player.
Aside from those, and the little lags on the phone, which occur not only in the launcher, but also in the UI such as apps and settings menu's etc, the phone is great.
Knowing me, I will love the Z for a while, but then the little issues will grow louder and louder until deafening and i'll have to go off again in search of greener pastures.
HTC One is looking good, barring the sub standard camera.
I wasn't interested in the One, till I saw on in the shop yesterday, compared the speed (which is lag free and superfast), and a HD movie on Youtube side by side with my Z and was left open mouthed at how much better the One was in those departments.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The mic and speakers are alright to me though. Maybe its just me. About the earphones, yeah, they are kinda soft, but loud enough for me. They output the same volume level as I had set before on the iPhone 5 when I was using it. I don't really like my music loud. About Beats Audio, I did not say anything bad about it? I was trying to explain that the ClearAudio+ is similar to Beats Audio on HTC phones that is just a setting that you enable/disable. Don't get me wrong, Beats audio is great. I agree with the little UI lags on the Xperia Z. Its kinda irritating? I don't know. But it does annoy me a little. About the HTC One, yes, its a fast phone, but Sense 5.0 is not for me and no, I won't use launchers. Period. The screen is better? I don't know. Thats what reviews and people that own it say. It actually doesn't matter to me, at least. As long as the screen looks great, who cares if there are other better ones out there. I like my Xperia Z screen just fine, thank you. Call me dumb, but this is just my opinion. And the above is YOUR opinion, and I respect that. Everyone have different views on different phones.
Thanks for letting me know what you think
_JT said:
Thanks for your input. I suggest you take a look at the AnandTech review of the HTC One and you'll find the camera is excellent, if not the best available. I really like my Z but I find it unrealistic to say the camera is better if Sony doesn't fix the extreme post-processing. In low-light conditions the One wins hands down. Not so weird with optical image stabilization and pixels that are twice as big.
I'd suggest taking a picture (in auto mode) of a tree or bush at lets say 2-3 meters distance and then look at the picture at 100%. You'll see it's smeared out. Funny thing is, try the same in burst and you'll see it looks MUCH better.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2221246
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm... Sure, I'll have a look. In my experience, I find the Xperia Z camera to be better then the HTC One. The Xperia Z takes great pictures. Details are present even far in the background, unlike the HTC One, which is just a fuzzy mess. Maybe its the particular model that I tried out. I'm just content with my Xperia Z camera now. Thanks for sharing your view

Great reviews. I like sony smartphone's special interface very much, and as well as its music. But I just want to experience the Ultrapixel camera of HTC One.

Good review. I did a similar SWOT analysis between the HTC One, the Sony Xperia Z and the HTC Butterfly and finally bought the Xperia Z. Here's the link for those who'd like to see and decide (or comment).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2171584
Dead cookies leave no trails...

I am wondering how many people here that say their pictures with the HTC One looks worse actually own the device and have tested it extensively instead of just a quick pic in the store.
biffsmash said:
I would have to say the Z has excellent low light capabilities when flash is not required. I am not impressed with HTC one camera or samples at all and have read reviews that rubbish the HTC One camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe this is interesting to see: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_software_update_improves_camera_performance-news-5759.php

biffsmash said:
The only other issue for me, which again is a big shame considering the phone is made by Sony, is the music quality.
The music through the earphones is far too quiet, and the quality leaves a lot to be desired.
Say what you will about Beats audio on HTC phones, but the HTC One X beats the Z into the ground on volume and sound quality.
One X has no distortion at volume levels twice that of the Z! Max volume on the Z is around 30% too quiet, and the sound quality
is a little underwhelming, with the EQ having a strange volume limiting effect on walkman player.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally disagree on this point. The quality I've heard from the XZ surpasses every phone (In my opinion) If you're having some issues regarding the sound try out the sound mods in the dev section.
About the volume itself: I'm biking each day to work with music on (earpiece) and most of the times I don't even come near the 75% mark of volume and even then i hear everything perfect. So that's while the wind is blowing in/over my ear. I've heard some more people complain about the volume itself, each time I read it, I ask myself: What have these people been doing to their ears that they find the sound too low, or either you're all 60+ (No offense).
So if you haven't tried any of the sound mods, I'd say do so, it might change your mind. Each and every day I'm amazed about the sound quality.
Sounds mods (require root):
[SOUNDMOD] PureXAudio v10.1
AC!D Audio Engine v2

Dsteppa said:
I totally disagree on this point. The quality I've heard from the XZ surpasses every phone (In my opinion) If you're having some issues regarding the sound try out the sound mods in the dev section.
About the volume itself: I'm biking each day to work with music on (earpiece) and most of the times I don't even come near the 75% mark of volume and even then i hear everything perfect. So that's while the wind is blowing in/over my ear. I've heard some more people complain about the volume itself, each time I read it, I ask myself: What have these people been doing to their ears that they find the sound too low, or either you're all 60+ (No offense).
So if you haven't tried any of the sound mods, I'd say do so, it might change your mind. Each and every day I'm amazed about the sound quality.
Sounds mods (require root):
[SOUNDMOD] PureXAudio v10.1
AC!D Audio Engine v2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After your and biffsmash posts I got curious. Quickly tried my Jamo in-ears and AKG DJ619. Result: Jamo's were VERY loud and max volume on the AKG was just about enough, really wouldn't want any louder than that. Not sure wether I heard distortion but this was streamed, need to listen to good quality recordings first before I can judge sound quality. From what I can remember from my HOX it wasn't really louder.

Dannyada1988 said:
Great reviews. I like sony smartphone's special interface very much, and as well as its music. But I just want to experience the Ultrapixel camera of HTC One.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be sure to drop by your local Carrier retail store to check it out!
Cookie Ninja said:
Good review. I did a similar SWOT analysis between the HTC One, the Sony Xperia Z and the HTC Butterfly and finally bought the Xperia Z. Here's the link for those who'd like to see and decide (or comment).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2171584
Dead cookies leave no trails...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I'll take a look at your post as well.
_JT said:
I am wondering how many people here that say their pictures with the HTC One looks worse actually own the device and have tested it extensively instead of just a quick pic in the store.
Maybe this is interesting to see: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_software_update_improves_camera_performance-news-5759.php
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is good to hear for HTC One users and potential owners. Its actually pretty bad. I spent 30mins at the store checking it out. But that's before the update though. Maybe its much better now

Well I am using Xperia Z for 4-5 day's now.. It's really beautiful phone and if I can say - something different for me..
After years of using Galaxy ( S, S2, S3, Note 2) I decided to switch to Sony for the first time.. Some things are different, but I was able to do those simple things root/CWM.. (And that all I know how to do, but again those are most important things for me).. I don't want to play with those bootloaders because I don't know what it's doing and I can f..k up my phone - so no ROM's for me now..
What I don't like about phone (or where I am little disappointed) :
SOUND is too low on max volume.. On my Galaxy I could never put it on max volume.. Here on max volume is just - pfff... weak..
(Headphones which come with phone - REALLY STUPID not having volume up/down, so you have to take your phone every time when you want to change volume.. That cord on right earphone sooo long, on the left so short - annoying... )
CAMERA - I did't use it for this couple of day's - but I was looking here on XDA thread with Xpera Z images/photos... VERY disappointing.. Photos are just NOT SHARP at all.. Only thing that I am hoping for is that Sony will fix that with some software update.. Because you can't tell me that one SONY whose sensor has been used by so many other phones - can't make its camera perfect (at least better than competition)..
Those are things for now that I can see.. But as I said I am using this phone only for couple of days now - will see..

_JT said:
Maybe this is interesting to see: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_software_update_improves_camera_performance-news-5759.php
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might wanna look at this
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_vs_xperia_z-review-917p9.php
Winner: Sony Xperia Z. The color rendering and HDR could have been better, but if Sony tweaks its image processing algorithms, the Xperia Z can put out some pretty good shots. Even as things stand now though, it has an advantage over the HTC One.
The HTC One enjoys a wider FoV, better color accuracy HDR, but the low 4MP resolution limits the resolved detail and image noise eats further into it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

PokerFaze said:
I've posted this before on the Xperia Z reviews thread, however, I've been reading lots of posts about the Xperia Z vs the HTC One and I'd thought I'd share my opinions on the Xperia Z and why I chose it instead of the HTC One. I've modified some information in the review to tell you more about why I chose the Z. The original can be found here: [http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=40061336#post40061336]
My Honest Sony Xperia Z Review
Why I Chose The Xperia Z
I had the Xperia Z for a month or so and I'm ready to make my review on it. I was up for an upgrade last month(March) and was browsing through phones that may appeal to me. I am coming from an iPhone 5. In the end, there were only 3 phones that caught my eye. The Xperia Z, the HTC One and the HTC Butterfly, or Droid DNA in the USA. The Butterfly was the first to go as it lacked LTE and NFC. The Xperia Z and the HTC One remained. Luckily, I found a HTC One demo unit in one of the Carriers, Singtel(Plaza Singapura if any fellow Singaporeans wanna check it out). Well hidden in a corner, I should say and it was the Black one. At the same time, The Xperia Z just launched like, 2 days ago(At that time). Picking up the HTC One, I realized how solid it feels, and boy, premium was written all over it. I turned it on and played around with the software. It was good, lag-free and looks great. I tried the camera and I have to say it was horrible. No joke. It was not clear and most details looks fuzzy. Maybe thats just me, but it really looks not on par with phone cameras these days. Sense 5.0 was alright, it was clean and fresh from the previous Sense versions. BlinkFeed was just a Flipboard like widget on the homescreen. Sense 5.0 does looks nice, but it was not for me. I am also afraid of the build of the phone. I am a careless person. I have to admit. My iPhone 5 was covered in scuffs and dents all over the place. Having the full aluminium body makes me shudder every time I imagine dropping it. Wanted to know more but the HTC rep was nowhere to be seen. Next, I went to the Xperia Z demo unit. The Sony Xperia rep there gave me a run through on the specs and features. I was actually pretty impressed and excited by the fact I could take my phone to the shower and use it while showering. To me, what it means by having a good phone is having a good experience. When I picked up the phone, I immediately realized how realistic the colors looked when playing video and viewing images. Outside of that, it looked rather dark. The design was sexy. REALLY sexy. It felt extremely good in the hand and is durable. VERY durable. Dropped it a few times and not a scratch. The thing that closed the deal was the UI. I like the stock UI. In fact, I love it. The Xperia Z's UI is extremely close to stock. The Nexus 4 is not available here, so it was out of the question. The UI is neat, smooth and looked fabulous. Unlike HTC's Sense 5.0, which is an extremely heavy skin and does not appeal to me. With the water resistance, it was clear which is the phone for me. I hope after reading my review, you'll know which phone to get. We are all brothers here at XDA Developers and I hope that whichever phone we use, we may contribute to the developer community and not flame each other because of our personal preferences. XDA Developers is a place for developers, by developers. Lets not let our choice of phone affect that.
The Beauty Meets The Beast
The Xperia Z packs a SnapDragon S4 Pro Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait processor, Adreno 320 GPU and runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. It sports an all glass design, similar to the iPhone 4 and 4S. The Xperia Z has excellent build quality and looks absolutely fantastic. The ports are covered by flaps, which may prove to be an annoyance for some but with good purpose. The most prominent feature of the Xperia Z is probably the on/off button. Its large, and ridiculously well placed. It stands where the thumb rests on the phone, or the index finger if you're using your left hand and is incredibly convenient to press compared to the stretch you'd have to make on other phones. Below that is the volume rocker, also easy to access when needed. The speakers are indeed placed in a horrible position, as its easy to mute with your palm unintentionally but its not an issue for me as I use my phone with my left hand.
Overall, the design turns heads and the hardware don't fail to deliver. Feels solid in the hand, BUT might be a problem for people with small hands as it may cut into it and make it uncomfortable. Very, very impressive Sony.
User Interface
Sony's UI is probably the closes you can get to stock android, and I love it. It's simple, nothing fancy and neat, although, I'd like a Black theme rather then the Grey. There are some UI lags here and there though. The lack of Android 4.2.2 also disappoints me a little but its coming, and I'll wait for it. After all, Good things come to those who wait.
Performance Powerhouse
Lag is a thing of the past with the SnapDragon S4 Pro as everything is buttery smooth, with minor UI lags here and there. Problem solved with one of the launchers. I've also noticed a little waiting time when launching the camera. Games run smoothly and without issue, not to mention looks AWESOME on the Full HD display. Although, I'd prefer to see the SnapDragon 600 on the Xperia Z as a future proof maneuver as games get increasingly power hungry.
Camera, Video and Screen
Video playback is amazing on the Xperia Z, as a result of the Full HD 1080p screen. Words are crisp and I rarely see any pixels other then low-res images. The Camera doesn't disappoint either with a 13MP back camera and a 2.1MP front facing camera. Both camera film 1080p videos as well so vlogging on the phone will definitely be great. However, I did notice that the colors are not on par with other phones and look rather dark. The Bravia Mobile Engine 2 does help and actually make the colors extremely realistic, but only when viewing images and videos. Low contrast ratio here doesn't help either. Had no issue using the phone in daylight. The viewing angles are GREAT. Only having some colors being washed out, I don't see any issue with viewing angles. Even if there is an issue with viewing angles, who cares? Nobody, NOBODY uses their phones 90 degrees unless you're a total idiot.
Connectivity
No issues here. LTE, NFC. What else could you ask for? Have to say though, kudos to Sony on having a campaign on promoting NFC usage and even launching new TVs with NFC compatibility. Wi-Fi is great, only had issue when it keeps dropping on free public Wi-Fi access points. But hey, free Wi-Fi, who knows. No issues with the Wi-Fi at home.
Its Music To My Ears
I listen to music. A lot. Everyday to and fro school, when travelling, heck, even when I'm bored. The bundled headset, The MH-EX300AP is AWESOME in providing high quality sounds. Sony also has ClearAudio+, which is like Beats Audio on the HTC, makes the experience all the more awesome. You can say its like having an orgasm in your ears. Eargasm if i may.
Speaker & Microphone Quality
The speaker, is actually quite the disappointment as number one, its placed in a horrible position. Next, its not as loud as I'd like it to be. There's xLoud, but it sacrifices quality for volume. Considering the quality without xLoud, I'd rather have it disabled. Lastly, as said before, the quality isn't all that great. However, I got the NFC Wireless Speaker, The SRS-BTV5 for free, which solves all the above issues, thus no complaints from me. But its kinda inconvenient to carry a speaker around with you all the time, so yeah. It is an issue.
Call quality is great, however. I can hear the other party clearly and they can hear me clearly too. No issues with dropped calls.
The Xperia Z Runs Far, With Great Stamina
I start my day at 4:30AM and end at 6PM. With 80% battery left. Stamina mode is no gimmick, it really does help with the battery life. Awesome battery life. If the screen is mostly off that is, which is usually the case. I find that if LTE is enabled, battery drains extremely fast, which makes me resort to using HSPA+, which isn't that all bad in my country. HSPA+ use nearly 3 times as less battery then LTE on my set. Location Based Wi-Fi is AWESOME. Its really cool to have your Wi-Fi turn off automatically when you leave the house and turns on then you're back. Not to mention the convenience. The phone will probably last me 2 days or so, but I still charge it every night anyway. Don't we all do?
Prepared For Accidents
The Xperia Z is IP57 certified - dust and water resistant with water resistant up to 1 meter and 30 minutes. Let's be honest here. We all had times where we wished we could take our phones into the shower or bathtub. That wish is now fulfilled. I take the Xperia Z into the shower with me everyday and text or watch YouTube videos while showering. When the phone is dirty? No sweat. Rinse it under washing water. Now you also do not have to worry about dropping your phone into the water or bring it camping in the desert(whatever the reason LOL). Plus, you can wow your friends or freak your parents out by pouring water on the phone or dunk it into a glass of water. Heck, even take it swimming. Be careful about salt water though, Sony does not recommend dunking it in salt water. With Wet Finger Tracking technology, you don't have to dry your hands to use your phone, although it does get a little jumpy at times. The phone is also quite durable as I've dropped the phone a few time and there's not a scratch. That a plus as I'm usually very careless.
Take note that the phone disables touch input while underwater so, no texting while swimming.
Conclusion
The Sony Xperia Z is a great phone. Its not for everybody, and it has it's fair shares of ups and downs. I am throughly satisfied with it and do not regret not waiting for the Samsung Galaxy S4 or the HTC One. Its great for the average user and is definitely good enough for me. The water and dust resistance is not necessary but its nice to have. Its smooth, provide great music listening, plays games like a champ. I would recommend it to anybody, but hey, its your call. You have the decision to which phone is right for you and nobody can force you to take the Xperia Z or any phone for the matter. For me, I made my choice, and I have no regrets whatsoever.
Therefore, I dare say: I'M A PROUD SONY XPERIA Z OWNER
Thank you for taking your precious time to read my review. I'm still a noob, and I hope I may be more useful to the developer community here.
P.s Feedback on my review?
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Click to collapse
I have Xperia Z for 2 weeks. For me the battery is horrible, it ends up for only one day. I'm thinking to much about HTC One. Now I rooted my Z, removed preloaded apps, battery is fine now

I just could not decide so got both One and Z

Water proof, without that, i wouldn't have bought Z .

daniel.nguyen said:
I have Xperia Z for 2 weeks. For me the battery is horrible, it ends up for only one day. I'm thinking to much about HTC One. Now I rooted my Z, removed preloaded apps, battery is fine now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmmm... The battery life on mine is awesome. 8 hours in school and the battery doesn't drop a single percentage. The preloaded apps might be the issue.
mndgz said:
I just could not decide so got both One and Z
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I guess that solves the problem as well
Sent from my Sexy White Xperia Z

I thiink exactly the same, great post

Z1 experience coming from Galaxy S3

I recently changed to a Z1 from a Galaxy S3 primarily for the camera and secondarily for waterproofing.
No phone is perfect, so here are my own personal opinions on what I liked and didn't like about the Z1, in case it is useful for anyone else coming from a Samsung Galaxy as you might have a similar experience.
Take them for what they are, you may disagree and haven't thought of these as cons/pros, but this what my own experience has been.
First, the cons:
- The notification LED is useless, at least on my black. It is hidden inside the earpiece, so only appears at maximum brightness when you are looking at the Z1 from the right angle. Maximum brightness is also about 1/4 that on the S3 - I can't see it outside in broad daylight for example. This means I am often turning on the phone to check for messages.
- Sound is very quiet. I've been using Android for years - was an Xperia X10 fan boy back in the day - and this is one of the quietest phones I've used. The quality seems good, but for notifications, combined with the dull LED as above, means it's already frustrating missing messages.
- The usable area of the 5" screen is LESS than the 4.8" screen of the S3. This is because the soft-keys take a lot of room at the bottom. I have compared them side-by-side. The bezel area is also huge.
- I hit the soft-keys by mistake often and end up switching apps or bouncing to the home screen. I'm sure this is just a matter of getting used to it. But so far I miss the physical home button a lot. Even if asthetically it "looks better" without one, it's actually quite useful to have another button to wake up the phone.
- The screen is dull and has a very small colour gamut. It is disappointing. For reading text it is fine. The AMOLED of the S3 is streets ahead in gamut coverage. That's with the S3 set to the "Professional Photo" profile which is decently calibrated, rather than the over-saturated Standard setting it has out of the box. I would not use it to review my photos (stick with the iPad for better integration with Lightroom anyway).
- The phone is HUGE for less screen area than a S3.
- There is far less ROM customisation for Z1's than S3, no surprise as I remember having the same experience on the X10. Going to an S and then S2 afterwards blew my mind how much more customisation there was. Rooting the S3 took 10 minutes after I first opened the box having not read up in advance. I guess the Z1 can be done in the same time once you know what you're doing, but the information is vague, the forums have different information all over the place, and it feels like a lot of rooting or flashing is sort of hopeful that it works. Information seems in posts scattered around rather than helpful and up-to-date guides. There are many more people in the Z1 forums complaining of boot loops or stuck phones.
Now having said all those negatives, here are the pros, of which there are some really good ones:
- The camera IS fantastic. Having used the S3, S4 and various other smartphones this is truly a brilliant camera. Yes, there are cons, such as pixel peeping shows patterns from the software processing. And 20mp looks like about 10mp up-sampled. But the colours are great and the dynamic range is surprisingly good.
- I love the ability to hold the camera button to wake the Z1 and instantly open the camera. This is very useful.
- Waterproofing gives me lot of peace of mind when travelling. I was very nervous when using a previous phone in Europe last November during rain and trying to look up maps.
- The battery life is incredible compared to the S3. I don't have figures or stats but I think it's roughly twice as good. I'm very impressed with this, given how large the screen is in particular.
- The Xperia software seems to be more useful than the gimmicky stuff Samsung puts in their Galaxy range. For example, the auto-triggered Sleep pattern to turn off sync, Wifi when you plug in the charger after 10pm is really neat. (For anyone who hasn't used this, you can customise the trigger, time range and actions that occur).
- It feels like a higher quality device. Also more precious and delicate. Definitely more "premium" as I've heard it said.
- The wifi signal is slightly stronger on 802.11n.
I'm sure there are other pros and cons. These are the ones that mattered to me personally, your mileage may and is likely to completely differ

S3 to Z1
I went to the 4G (2GB Ram) version of the S3 and back whilst my Z1 was being replaced.
you forgot to mention one Massive crucial point,
the S3 felt like a Lag-Fest compared to the Z1 with it's S800 processor and Adreno 330 GPU.
Also much of the Screen issues can be resolved by calibrating the colour and white balance,
and theres no comparison between Quality of the Z1's 1080P panel with 441 PPI compared to a 720P panel with 306 PPI (with some Pixels noticeable)
regards

I too just upgraded from S3 to Z1
Lag fest, true that. Only thing that I miss is the AMOLED display.
S3- Lags (stock ROM, AOSP ROM's are somewhat fast)
Can be used as frying pan, 1080p video fps drops when scenes become too complex (like shooting ocean waves), Gallery sucks, samsung apps are resource hungry. Newer games lag a lot (sometimes quits )

halleyrokz said:
Lag fest, true that. Only thing that I miss is the AMOLED display.
S3- Lags (stock ROM, AOSP ROM's are somewhat fast)
Can be used as frying pan, 1080p video fps drops when scenes become too complex (like shooting ocean waves), Gallery sucks, samsung apps are resource hungry. Newer games lag a lot (sometimes quits )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto

Interested in buying this phone also, coming from the s2, tho I'm worrying about the sound quality of this phone, is it really that bad?

uchechris said:
Interested in buying this phone also, coming from the s2, tho I'm worrying about the sound quality of this phone, is it really that bad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the speakerphone is better than the S2/S3,
you can always try it in the shops and hear for yourself, make sure you turn on ClearAudio+ and Dynamic Normaliser on,
If you want the Best speakerphone quality ... theres only one choice at the moment HTC One.
regards

raziel123 said:
the speakerphone is better than the S2/S3,
you can always try it in the shops and hear for yourself, make sure you turn on ClearAudio+ and Dynamic Normaliser on,
If you want the Best speakerphone quality ... theres only one choice at the moment HTC One.
regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol I see, never try sony phones before and I wanna give it a try....done with samsung since battery is an issue and overheating , i don't wanna do HTC due to its camera.....iphones is a no , so imma do sony , might get the Z1 international since the Z1s don't have 4.4 kitkat and has a locked boot loader :/

uchechris said:
Interested in buying this phone also, coming from the s2, tho I'm worrying about the sound quality of this phone, is it really that bad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The loudspeaker is quieter and the earpiece is harder to hear people on call.
However I prefer listening to music with the same headphones plugged into this vs S2 or S3. The Z1 has a warmer sound to the music and I think captures the very low bass just slightly better than the S3. This is without the enhancements turned on. I find the enhancements a bit over the top, like applying HDR to every photo, it doesn't suit everything.
So I enjoy music more - but the loudspeaker is quieter which is annoying for conference calls at work.
I've heard it explained as quieter due to the waterproofing, which is understandable.

awojtas said:
The loudspeaker is quieter and the earpiece is harder to hear people on call.
However I prefer listening to music with the same headphones plugged into this vs S2 or S3. The Z1 has a warmer sound to the music and I think captures the very low bass just slightly better than the S3. This is without the enhancements turned on. I find the enhancements a bit over the top, like applying HDR to every photo, it doesn't suit everything.
So I enjoy music more - but the loudspeaker is quieter which is annoying for conference calls at work.
I've heard it explained as quieter due to the waterproofing, which is understandable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know I actually find the earpiece louder than most phones I used in the past. I thought it was quiet at first as well until I realized that I am holding up to my ear wrong. I find anyone that also used my phone kinda does the same thing. Most of the time the earpiece is usually in the middle of the bezel of the edge and the screen. But because the earpiece is the very top of the phone you have to remember to slide the phone down and make sure the speaker is right at the ear canal. I still do that sometimes but I find it very clear and loud once its position correctly.
Maybe its just me...

I also came from the S3 and agree regarding the notification LED and the soft-keys. The LED on the S3 was perfect (the Z, too), however the Z1's is definitely harder to see. I solved the soft-key issue by switching on pie controls in xposed/gravity box and deactivating the Android soft keys. I can easily use the phone single-handed, tapping the pie keys with the thumb.
I quickly got used to the less explosive colors (which imho are far too saturated on the S3/4) and enjoy the better handling in bright sunlight compared to the S3.
My biggest con is the phone's size. It's so large I don't want to put it into a flip-cover, which would make it even bigger. On the other hand the naked phone is a bit difficult to hold because it's quite slippery.

sumerland said:
I also came from the S3 and agree regarding the notification LED and the soft-keys. The LED on the S3 was perfect (the Z, too), however the Z1's is definitely harder to see. I solved the soft-key issue by switching on pie controls in xposed/gravity box and deactivating the Android soft keys. I can easily use the phone single-handed, tapping the pie keys with the thumb.
I quickly got used to the less explosive colors (which imho are far too saturated on the S3/4) and enjoy the better handling in bright sunlight compared to the S3.
My biggest con is the phone's size. It's so large I don't want to put it into a flip-cover, which would make it even bigger. On the other hand the naked phone is a bit difficult to hold because it's quite slippery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using this case,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Case-mate-B...F8&qid=1401215095&sr=1-3&keywords=casemate+z1
I've had the black one for months now, pretty good,
regards

Improving Z1 Compact; camera, audio, screen, battery, ...

Hello everybody!
I'm writing from Italy. I had a Z1 Compact that I returned to Amazon for water damages.
Now I'm thinking of buying another phone (I think Moto X) because I had some problems with Z1 Compact.
Before buying the Moto X, I'll try to find if this problems can be solved so I can buy another Z1 Compact, that is a nice phone.
My problems (not mine, but of all the Z1 Compact) were:
- Camera: The camera was pretty good, but I hated the way that it recorded videos. The stabilization was good but, moving a little the hand, all the edges of the figures blurred, and above all the focus was really slow and inaccurate;
- Audio recording: The audio recoding was really bad... I didn't like the recorded audio quality at all, it seemed like it was underwater, the quality was always crappy IMHO, and with big volumes (concert, disco) it was really really distorted;
(for these camera and audio problems I tried different camera softwares, but they were even worse than the Sony original one!)
- Multimedial audio: The multimedial audio was really low and with a normal (but not good or excellent) quality. I tried this boost; it improved the speaker volume (even if the quality wasn't good at all) but not the headphones one;
- Screen and battery: Screen's colours didn't impressed me, they were always faded. Battery was good but non excellent (however, these aren't big problems).
Now... Can I solve this problems in some ways or they are unsolvable hardware problems?
Thank you so much. Bye!

There is no perfect mobile in the market and it's the same for our phone z1c
I love this phone,for me camera is nice,video recording is good(way better then some phones i have tried(yeah its not real camcorder),audio is great recording quality and with sound boost speaker is enough loud for my taste Cheers
That's how this phone work's and if you don't like it you can always try another with things that suits you more cheers
ps. I have yet to meat the person that holded our phone for the first time,played with it and said "this phone sucks"

If you think the Moto X is a better phone overall just buy that one. If you don't like the screen,battery,camera and multimedia related stuff what's left for you to like about this phone ?! This site can only tweak some aspects about a phone , not change it entirely.

I like it because it's compact and very powerful. Plus, I like Sony interface.
But I hate the problems I listed, so I asked to know if I can solve it with mod or tweak or they are hardware "issues" and so not solvable...

Andrea45 said:
I like it because it's compact and very powerful. Plus, I like Sony interface.
But I hate the problems I listed, so I asked to know if I can solve it with mod or tweak or they are hardware "issues" and so not solvable...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem you listed almost all can be partly solved but there is no bugs free or perfect android phone in the world because your requirement is very high.
1. In reality, I found many of digital stabilization on smartphone somehow got some drawback like you mentioned. It will also happen on other phone but just maybe in some other ways and the perfect solution is get a OIS like HTC M7, N5(video quality is just normal in my experiences) or LG G2/G3. If you got a real fast cpu and know how to do video editing, there are some software stabilization available and they are all better but very time consuming works.
This camera has details because of 1/2.3" sensor but the focus is bad. If you need a fast and accurate focus then only HTC and Samsung can help you in my experiences, you should consider HTC M7(with OIS) or Galaxy S5 but remember HTC M7 UltraPixel is only 4MP and many guys not satisfy with that.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2730097
Indeed, the z1c focus already improved noticeably in 4.4.4(but still can't beat HTC and Samsung) and with this mod(remember to only flash v7 8MP ver) the image, video and audio quality is also improved. Our tiny phone got a small mic just never expect to get real good quality.
2. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=54328280&postcount=53
Many to complain about the multimedia and looking for some complicated solutions but I found it can be easily solved via PowerAMP. The Dynamic normaliser got boost nearly 50% volume in headphone without distort during in my experiences.
3. The screen actually not impressed me either but in general, Sony never use top quality LCD like HTC, LG and Samsung. The IPS screen on z1c is already the 2nd best in Sony history(1st sure is Z2). Battery is ok but it won't be excellent because 2300mah is not enough for S800.
MotoX won't help because it doesn't has dedicated ISP and the camera is bad overall comments on net. MotoX+1 may equipped with dedicated ISP. In your case, actually I would recommend you LG G2. The G2 mod cam is great on xda(but the dev got temp. banned you gonna find some backup download) and it also got OIS. The focus is a little bit accurate than z1c but G2 focus is also same slow, G3 focus is faster. If you think G3 5.5" is too big then consider G3 beat 5". The screen quality and battery is all good on LG.
But if you just want a small flagship, then no choice now only Z1 Compact. Indeed, with 4.4.4 and the mod cam been many things improved.

I don't like LG phones because they have distorsion with high volume too, and I think that they don't have reception and audio of Moto X.
However, what is a "dedicated ISP"? Thank you.

Andrea45 said:
Hello everybody!
I'm writing from Italy. I had a Z1 Compact that I returned to Amazon for water damages.
Now I'm thinking of buying another phone (I think Moto X) because I had some problems with Z1 Compact.
Before buying the Moto X, I'll try to find if this problems can be solved so I can buy another Z1 Compact, that is a nice phone.
My problems (not mine, but of all the Z1 Compact) were:
- Camera: The camera was pretty good, but I hated the way that it recorded videos. The stabilization was good but, moving a little the hand, all the edges of the figures blurred, and above all the focus was really slow and inaccurate;
- Audio recording: The audio recoding was really bad... I didn't like the recorded audio quality at all, it seemed like it was underwater, the quality was always crappy IMHO, and with big volumes (concert, disco) it was really really distorted;
(for these camera and audio problems I tried different camera softwares, but they were even worse than the Sony original one!)
- Multimedial audio: The multimedial audio was really low and with a normal (but not good or excellent) quality. I tried this boost; it improved the speaker volume (even if the quality wasn't good at all) but not the headphones one;
- Screen and battery: Screen's colours didn't impressed me, they were always faded. Battery was good but non excellent (however, these aren't big problems).
Now... Can I solve this problems in some ways or they are unsolvable hardware problems?
Thank you so much. Bye!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
get your phone under warranty. On mine, screen is sharp as knife, audio quality on headphones is a KILLER. Just send it to warranty or whatever. Battery on Z1 Compact is one of the best out here (comparing to i9505, 801n etc). Maybe you have chinese copy Or sell your phone and problem will be solved.

Andrea45 said:
I don't like LG phones because they have distorsion with high volume too, and I think that they don't have reception and audio of Moto X.
However, what is a "dedicated ISP"? Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There won't be perfect phone in the world atm as we all mentioned in this thread. You either need to accept one or two problem existed or else your decision making is ridiculous and just wasting your time.
Things changed, LG is much better now. But if you want good audio, I think only HTC BoomSound and Sony Z2 S-Force speaker do the job on android. HTC M7 got OIS and BoomSound but the camera is just 4MP. Nokia almost did all things you want but it is a WP device. If you are so like MotoX then just get it, don't ask.

i've several phones here: N4 / N5 / One Mini / Xcover2 / Moto G / Z1c
washed out Colors? That would Fit N5, not Z1c. Z1c has great colours, only the blacks are to black
Audio sucks? have you exer listened to N4 / N5 / Xcover? I mean, it is not HTC Boomsound, but it is a phone, and thats okay. The only real drawback from a One: like all Phones with one Speaker, is does matter how you hold it while listening to the speaker...
are you sure your z1c has no physical problem?

For audio recording i guess you are using the stock recording app? I use the app ASR and it is amazing. beautiful stereo audio.

In apps and themes section is mod which one activate headspeaker and when you listen to music 2 speakers works fine and you have stereo music the same situaton is when somebody calls to you 2 spekares are on about camre i think that update after update something is changed and works always better. Nothing is perfect remember that everyone!))
Screen is great really great but no compete with old s2 super amoled
i have both fones and when i compare in the same situations amoled was always better but this is my own private opinion. I was thinking for a long time about changing my s2 and z1c is the only one phone for me there is no better phone in this size

mosespl said:
In apps and themes section is mod which one activate headspeaker and when you listen to music 2 speakers works fine and you have stereo music the same situaton is when somebody calls to you 2 spekares are on about camre i think that update after update something is changed and works always better. Nothing is perfect remember that everyone!))
Screen is great really great but no compete with old s2 super amoled
i have both fones and when i compare in the same situations amoled was always better but this is my own private opinion. I was thinking for a long time about changing my s2 and z1c is the only one phone for me there is no better phone in this size
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I come from HTC One S and also used 4.3" Super AMOLED from Samsung. They both have pros and cons. The color is much accurate on IPS but lack of contrast and saturation levels, amoled does much better job but somewhat over as we all know. So, they are just 50/50. No winner.
The real advantage is the touch sensitive on amoled is better than IPS panel. But since the galaxy s5 mini spec. is very ****, we have no choice but z1c.

This phone is really fantastic!

I was little bit skeptical before buying this phone, but I have it now for few days and all has been great. The build quality is OK, even with those plastic edges, and I really like the simplistic design. I can imagine this phone lasting me for about 4-5 years!
It's fast and it's responsiveness is insane! For all the people who can't decide because of some bad experience of some users here, they are just a small fraction and there are thousands of happy owners of this beauty...
Only two things than can be improved is the storage capacity (only 16gb) and the overheating (this phone can get really hot), otherwise it's all great...
This is my small review of the features of the phone.
design: 10/10 (this design is timeless)
build quality: 9/10 (much better than I was expecting)
performance: 10/10 (can't be better)
battery life: 10/10 (about 7 hours on display)
display: 8/10 (the white balance is not perfect)
camera: 8/10 (photos are not the best, video quality is amazing)
audio quality 10/10 (it's awesome for listening to mp3 albums)
speakers: 8/10 (loud enough, not the best quality)
system UI: 10/10 (just great)
texting/calling/signal: 10/10 (no problems at all)
overall: 9.5/10 ...best phone I've ever had!
Thanks Sony, you did it!

Mine doesn't get hot. A little warm when it's working hard, but temps are very manageable.
It is a great device though.

Continue : my small review ( I had / Have a Moto G before )
design: 9/10 nice, but very 1990's
build quality: 8/10 feels fragile , plastic sides not wonderful
performance: 10/10 (can't be better)
battery life: 10/10 it goes on and on and on on
display: 8/10 not as good as some other "flagship " phones out there
camera: 9/10 all good so far , have three camera apps , google and stock is best so far
audio quality 9/10 , it has a equalizer , and can be tweaked , out of the box , not bad
speakers: 8/10 (loud enough, not the best quality)
system UI: 9/10 Not 5.0
texting/calling/signal: 9/10 sound a bit muffled ... water proofing etc
Linking with my Sony TV 10/10 seamless
overall: 8.5/10 can it beat my desire ??? so far its giving it a good go !

I am currently with MOTO G .There is a serious improvement? after
You buy Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

I love this phone too. I pair my my ANT+ strap and go out running, i take a lot o photos and i like to install many apps that make my life better. This phone never gives up whatever i do and it's unbelievable the potentials that it has for its small size. It's the phone of the decade for me!

New Sony fanboy here. I love this little powerhouse!
Sent from my D5803 using xda-developers.com, powered by appyet.com

amos700 said:
I am currently with MOTO G .There is a serious improvement? after
You buy Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My gf has the Moto g. On paper it's a serious improvement. However the Moto g is a great phone. If it's truly an improvement, depends on your personal needs. If you want specific comparisons based on your needs, ask away.

Sometimes i think my Z3c has a Ghost Touch problem. Anyone else?

I have read on Reddit and a few other places where Z3C users are not getting text and mms messages and sometimes can not get calls.
Are these people who are trying to use the wrong version
on USA Carriers instead of D 5803 ?
With the power of the Compact, how is it working as a Phone/Mini Computer?
Are you guys able to make clear audible Speakerphone calls?
Can you put 6 photos together in a slideshow and adjust timing of each slide ?
Can you easily type a Proposal in Desktop Gmail and send it
with photos and attachments ?
Problems, issues ?
Thanks.

williamgrant said:
Sometimes i think my Z3c has a Ghost Touch problem. Anyone else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has a very sensitive touch screen, although that's mitigated somewhat by having a screen protector.
I've had the phone for a few weeks now and it's been pretty good. The one feature I had high hopes for, however, is proving to be an increasing disappointment -- the camera. Between the pink spot, awful white balance, often weird choice of settings in auto mode, and different features for different resolutions, the camera is proving to be inconsistent and infuriating in equal measure. I'm jealous of my GF's iPhone camera, which just works consistently all the time. Need a quick photo with the Z3c in auto mode? Just be prepared for the lottery of whether it turns out blurry, pink, noisy or OK.

Yeah the camera is particularly awful... They should have stuck to a simple UI too, instead of having 20 different photo modes, none of which are straightforward. I actually use Google camera, way better in its ergonomics... The most impressive thing i find about this phone is its battery life and Sony's software effort on Stamina mode. Screen white balance is utterly random across devices (I've tried 3 different z3c's...) which doesn't fit the quality effort from Sony's on its screen...

amos700 said:
I am currently with MOTO G .There is a serious improvement? after
You buy Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have / had a moto g . the difference is chalk and cheese! You have a good phone but very cheap against a flagship phone... Well worth the move , loads of videos on you tube , comparing them both

phentex said:
Yeah the camera is particularly awful... They should have stuck to a simple UI too, instead of having 20 different photo modes, none of which are straightforward. I actually use Google camera, way better in its ergonomics... The most impressive thing i find about this phone is its battery life and Sony's software effort on Stamina mode. Screen white balance is utterly random across devices (I've tried 3 different z3c's...) which doesn't fit the quality effort from Sony's on its screen...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you go in and disable the various camera mode in your apps list they will not show up in the camera UI... makes things look a whole lot cleaner and if I ever want to play around with elves I can just enable the particular plugin.
On a side note the Manual mode can take some seriously impressive pictures. Been comparing the Z3c to my wife's Canon XTI DSLR and its really remarkable how good the little sony cam is. They do need a better white balance adjustment option. Colors also seem to come out a bit bluish on some of the pics for some reason. Still need to play around with a few different cam apps to see if that fixes things.

Cronis said:
If you go in and disable the various camera mode in your apps list they will not show up in the camera UI... makes things look a whole lot cleaner and if I ever want to play around with elves I can just enable the particular plugin.
On a side note the Manual mode can take some seriously impressive pictures. Been comparing the Z3c to my wife's Canon XTI DSLR and its really remarkable how good the little sony cam is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can take impressive photos in good light, but Sony's infamous noise reduction/detail-smearing jpeg processing can also sometimes do a number on low-light photos (I took a photo in manual of a menu last night, for example, and the color of some of the text was smeared nicely into the surrounding white). But it's the auto mode lottery that annoys me the most and the auto mode is the one I tend to use the most with the dedicated shutter button. I really hope Sony fixes this in the next update. Yes, battery life is phenomenal, but I'd happily trade that for a decent camera. Plugging a phone in to recharge once a day is tolerable and easy to get used to. Having a photo you just took of a unique moment in time turn out a blurry, pink-tinged mess gets annoying very fast.

The Superior Auto mode will be improved for Z3c after the update to Android 5.0 like as it did for Z2 after the update to 4.4.4.

Katsigaros said:
The Superior Auto mode will be improved for Z3c after the update to Android 5.0 like as it did for Z2 after the update to 4.4.4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont believe till see it...

"Inferior Auto" will likely become slightly less inferior with the next update, but I'm not holding my breath that it will ever live up to the "Superior" moniker. Meanwhile we have a few more months of crappy photos to tolerate :crying:

Not sure why people bash this phones Camera so much. Maybe a skill issue? yes its not the type of cam you can just whip out and take great shots with(like an Iphone 5/6 or S5), but it does reward a little research/learning immensely. I would be willing to bet most people seeing a lineup of pictures taken by a reasonably skilled photographer using a Iphone 5/6 S5 G3 and Z3c could not accurately pick out the individual phones pics.
The main fault I have found with this cam is the bluish tint that seems to come out when using the auto white balance. Its hard to adjust, because the other white balance options in manual mode tend to make the pics too red or yellow. I will try playing around with other cam apps to see if I can improve things. Any recomendations on camera apps? I have heard good things about Camera FV-5.
Either way I don't mind all the complaining too much... if it gets Sony in a tizzy to get their cam software improved all the better for us!
I will say this thing blows my OG Moto X out of the water for quality of pics in virtually any setting.

Any tips for taking good pics then?
Im finding the camera appalling, the other day it was just overwhelmed by light and incredibly blurry, seriously it was like having a Motorola Razr all over again, tried taking it outside and it was exactly the same. Then 2 hours later it was back to being just mediocre. Very weird.

Cronis said:
Not sure why people bash this phones Camera so much. Maybe a skill issue? yes its not the type of cam you can just whip out and take great shots with(like an Iphone 5/6 or S5), but it does reward a little research/learning immensely. I would be willing to bet most people seeing a lineup of pictures taken by a reasonably skilled photographer using a Iphone 5/6 S5 G3 and Z3c could not accurately pick out the individual phones pics.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a phone, not an SLR! I expect the majority of people (me included) simply want to use it as a simple point and shoot, which it's really not very good for that. Sure, if I find myself without my SLR gear and have the time to take a higher-quality pic then the manual mode can be good. But as a basic phone camera for quick, on-the-go photos, it's often appalling.
As for other camera apps... I've tried FV-5, and it offers almost too many options (it can also be unstable.... it kept crashing on my Nexus 4). ProCapture is another good option and I also quite like Open Camera. I'm still trying to work out if any of them do better in auto mode than the Sony software.

24 Hrs with the Z5 Prem.. Initial Impressions..

Hey all
Just got my Z5 Prem Chrome yesterday (unlocked and Unbranded, but on O2 UK) and I wanted to give my first impressions...
On set up I logged onto Wifi and downloaded MM 6.0 (build 163) so I cant comment on 511.
The screen is Gorgeous, I have it set round about 50 - 60% and in daylight.. I can see it fine, Sunlight.. well every phone struggles in bright Sunlight.
Music Player has an awesome and quite cool UI, sounds Great through the Speakers but can distort if set too loud.. but I used to own an M8 then an M9.. so Im a little bit spoiled by them... The speaker audio lacks the bass and fullness of the M9, but to me the Z5s sound sweeter and more musical than the M9s, but I reckon the Z5 issue maybe the weterproofing membrane they put on the Z5 speakers.. but theyre still good and a joy to listen too.
But where true quality lies is in the Headphones.. and man.. Is the sound amazing in headphones... and this is where you know you have a Walkman.. Wow.. blew my mind and blows away any phone or Ive ever used including the 24-bit G4 and M9. Ive tried both a set of LG Quadbeat 3s and Sennheiser 400s.
And now for the major question.. and thankfully.. Yes the Camera is good, in fact it can be truely awesome... coming from a G4,. I can see how the G4 over-sharpened and over-processed its images, but the Z5 has a fantastic colour reproduction and accurate white balance. Lack of OIS isnt a big issue Ive found.. the images arent over sharpened and do have a "realness" to them.. they arent as "sharp and crispy"" as the G4 or S6 but this is a good thing and the camera can turn out some beautiful shots.
One thing I will say about "Auto Mode", part of the reason for the softness, especially when zooming in is that the camera tends to set the ISO very low... even as low as 40, probably in order to combat noise... but this has an opposite effect as well.. in that it softens the image right down, this is something to be aware of as some people like crispy images and can give the impression of the camera under performing. In order to combat this.. Use Manual mode and set your ISO manually.
For everyday use 8Mpx is great and strangely enough... theres not that big a jump between 8 and 20mpx,, but the difference is there. One thing i did find with the camera is it can over-expose alot of the time.. but using Manual Mode and dropping the EV down half a stop (0 - 0.5) or even a full stop (0 - -1) fixes this.
Also, unlike the standard Z5, the Prem model, at least mine anyway, doesnt suffer from the poor camera quality alot of forum threads have mentioned.
Im still on my first battery charge after 24 hrs (Im a light to mod user), but as with all new phones.. the battery needs 1-2 full cycles to fully "wake up", but so far Im quite pleased with it.
So im very happy with my new Z5 premium, and its hard to pick out an exact fault, other than the extremely low ISO settings, but Its fast, its fluid.. no lag, but coming from a G4 or S6, the camera imaging is "different".. but in a good way, but not worse.. it doesnt have the harsh over-processing, Great Music player.. and contrary to some forum posts.. Ringtones and Notifications are plenty loud enough, even with Volume set at 80 - 90% and with "Increased Ringtone" toggle "OFF"
Wouldve also been nice to see SONY include a set of Noise Cancelling headphones in the Box as a Premium.. or Wireless QI charging as standard on the Premium model, but in truth I guess Ide rather have the bigger screen and unlike trhe vanilla Z5, the camera that works.
Hope this helps you make a desicion....
Have Fun

The camera is great... not as good as lumia 1020 but I am accepting the fact that lumia is dead... I am using snapspeed and it make the pic taken by z5 way better...
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

I bought me a pair of MDR-NC750 in-ear NC headphones.
WOW what a good combination that is, it is realy good in the airplane.
Much more comfortable than my MDR-1RNC over the ear NC headphone, which is also awesome.
I tested them both on two intercontinental flights. I cannot say which one is better.
The amount of cancelling from the MDR-1RNC is a bit better, but the MDR-NC750 is more comfortable when you want to sleep.
I can recommend anybody to go for MDR-NC750.

Just received my chrome beauty today!
I'm in love like the good ol' days of Sony Ericsson!
I'm really excited about the phone and, oh god, this thing is insanely smooth in every aspect!
The screen is gorgeous, the sound through headphones is superb, the construction is rock solid, the camera is very good, the signal is nice and there's a lot of things better than all the phones i've tested!
Finally back to Sony Xperia Family that i missed since Z3!
Oh! And the "heat" is on par with every flagship that i've tested! (S6, Note 5, G4, Meizu Pro 5)

Luhccas-X10 said:
Just received my chrome beauty today!
I'm in love like the good ol' days of Sony Ericsson!
I'm really excited about the phone and, oh god, this thing is insanely smooth in every aspect!
The screen is gorgeous, the sound through headphones is superb, the construction is rock solid, the camera is very good, the signal is nice and there's a lot of things better than all the phones i've tested!
Finally back to Sony Xperia Family that i missed since Z3!
Oh! And the "heat" is on par with every flagship that i've tested! (S6, Note 5, G4, Meizu Pro 5)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reading this made me a bit happy!
I also tried lots of phones in the past and I currently have a Note 4 and looking for a worthy upgrade.
I know the note 4 can beat the Z5 premium in many ways/areas especially productivity/spen!
But I'm seeking a different experience! I tried LG, tried oneplus (cm and near stock), I want to try now Sony and HTC.
Do you think the z5p is a wise upgrade for me?

Life Engineer said:
Reading this made me a bit happy!
I also tried lots of phones in the past and I currently have a Note 4 and looking for a worthy upgrade.
I know the note 4 can beat the Z5 premium in many ways/areas especially productivity/spen!
But I'm seeking a different experience! I tried LG, tried oneplus (cm and near stock), I want to try now Sony and HTC.
Do you think the z5p is a wise upgrade for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure! You'll not regret!
The only thing, in my opinion, that Note 4 overcome Z5P is the removable battery.
Even being a IPS display against the best calibrated AMOLED, you will enjoy every movie/video/picture on it. The image is crisp as crystal and contrast is on the right point as the color saturation.
So... The performance, the smoothness of interface, the multimedia experience, the feel in your hands and specially the look of this thing, will put you in some funny situations! You'll catch yourself looking for the device like a kid with a new toy! Like me! LOL
It's a nice way to refresh your taste for tec! Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is a "for sure" to buy it.
The dual speaker is a nice thing that i've missed from HTC M9 and Xperia Z3. It could be a lil bit louder but it's ok due to its position.